A Randomized Pilot Study On The Effects Of A Socially Assistive Robot Intervention On Surgery Patients' Engagement, Perceived Quality of Care, And Quality Of Life

Aims and Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of a SAR intervention on patient engagement, perceived quality of care, and health-related quality of life in surgical wards. Background: The healthcare sector faces significant challenges, including workforce shortages and increasing demands. Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) have emerged as a potential solution to enhance patient outcomes, such as engagement, perceived quality of care, and health-related quality of life. However, their implementation in hospital wards remains largely unexplored. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial in the thoracic surgery and abdominal and general surgery wards in the University Medical Center Maribor. Patients ( N = 229) were allocated to either the SAR intervention group (standard care + SAR) or the control group receiving only standard care. The SAR intervention involved daily interactions for patient education and support. Outcomes included patient engagement , perceived quality of care, and health-related quality of life. We additionally explored the moderators that may alter the effects of the intervention. Results: The overall retention rate was 78.2% (90.1% in control and 66.9% in intervention), and the overall retention of patients from baseline to post-intervention was 86.9% (90.1% in control and 83.2% in intervention) demonstrating feasibility rather than attrition. While overall changes in patient engagement were not statistically significant, the intervention group showed a slight increase compared to a decrease in the control group. Perceived quality of care decreased significantly in both groups. The SAR intervention had a significant positive effect on pain/discomfort management. The department and acceptance of robots moderated the intervention's impact on patient engagement. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the feasibility of implementing SAR interventions in surgical wards. While the observed overall effects on patient engagement and perceived care quality were limited, the positive impact on pain management and the moderating effects of contextual factors highlight the potential of SAR in specific domains. Furthermore, we did not detect any negative effects of the intervention. Future research should consider longer intervention periods, larger sample sizes, and more department-specific applications to fully realize the benefits of SAR in surgical care settings.